Rose's Rush Hour.

Chapter One.

I was seated at one of the tables in the park of Richard Town, waiting for my dear friend Ed, on a warm Monday afternoon. The park was a lovely place with lush lawns and stone pathways in between; coupled with a few trees, many shrubs and a variety of flowers.

I liked to sit at the table near the bed of pink peony flowers. It gathered shade from a sycamore tree to mitigate the heat, and had a wonderful view of the fountain a few metres up ahead.

I was looking at the clear water sparkle as it sprouted down the fountain when my view was blocked by a short middle-aged woman in a long black dress. Her hands were covered in white gloves and she held up a black umbrella above her head, sheathing her from the heat.

I wrinkled my nose.

It looked like the black wide-brimmed hat, which was nearly the same width as her umbrella, hadn't been enough.

"Thank goodness I found you here, Rosa dear!" This Mrs. Plumberry beamed at me. She took out a white handkerchief from her purse and dabbed at the beads of sweat on her pale but flushed face.

I smiled at her. "Good afternoon, Mrs. Plumberry."

I neglected to correct her of my name because I realised people would always call you whatever they wanted. My parents named me Nkwanzi Rose, but enough people in Richard Town called me Rosa.

"I am here for a luncheon meeting, you see, but it so happens that I found a leak in my sink this morning, you know."

At that, I reached inside my satchel and fished my diary, which was more of a notebook than a secret-keeper.

"I made a mental note to write your mother about it, but it completely flew out of my mind when this luncheon business came along," Mrs. Plumberry continued and let out a little laugh at her forgetfulness. "It was a wonderful thing that I saw you, because it shocked my brain to remember. Fascinating thing the brain is, isn't it? Forgetting things one moment and remembering them the next, hm?"

"Indeed." I was already jotting down her complaint and once I was finished, I smiled at her. "I'll let my mother know and have the plumber come down there earliest end of today and latest tomorrow morning. Is that alright?"

Her mouth stretched into a grin, bringing out the wrinkles around her eyes. "That would be lovely, Rosa dear. Thank you."

"It's no problem, Mrs. Plumberry. Have a great day."

"You too, dear!" She turned and hobbled off onto the lawns.

My parents owned a flat in Richard Town, which had been handed down to my father from his father. It was a guesthouse called LightHouse, and it had been built some several years after the town was established. My parents did some renovations once we moved to the Town ten years back, and it was a source of not only income, but pride as well.

My mother struggled to handle it after my father passed on eight years back. It was not only on account of the grief, but also because of the prejudice against a woman handling work considered 'a man's job'.

Pfft.

It was both infuriating and frustrating, and I always had something to say against it.

My grandfather helped us out and slowly by slowly, she and I managed. I was only nine when my father passed on so I didn't know much about handling a business. But with a couple of years of learning and experience, I was able to truly be of help to my mother - unlike my silly younger brother, Jerry.

As I tucked my notebook back in my satchel, I heard the unmistakeable husky voice of my dear friend, Ed, from behind me.

"Girl friend!"